The Broadway production + US tour

Paula74 wrote:I wasn't planning on posting about this until I touched base with his manager, but a few comments have been posted on Facebook so I'll pass along the news now.

Hugh has been out of Phantom for the past few days due to the death of his father on Thursday, July 5. He should be back in sometime next week, but the exact day might change.

Thank you for this. I must admit I saw a couple of comments and understood something was wrong, but I didn't want to ask. I appreciate getting it from valid sources, so thank you for keeping us updated. And my thoughts go to Hugh Panaro right now. And to Peter Jöback, who just lost his mother.

I saw this on Tumblr. Apparently there was major flooding at the Majestic on Wednesday afternoon because of heavy rains.



Man, I knew there were severe thunderstorms in the region, but that's kind of scary. I wonder if things will be all dried out and ready to go by tomorrow?

~Madame~

Depends on how bad the damage is, I guess, and if there are any structural problems to the theater itself that have to be addressed. I'm sure there will be a press release of some kind if they have to close shop for a couple days.

And now I have this image of the Phantom and Christine boating through a flooded theater....

~LCD

if it is as bad as it sounds i think they might have to take a few days off, the smell alone of damp carpeting and seats would take a while to clear since you can't exactly open the windows and let the place air out.
any other theatres reported similar problems?

So the 26th of Jan 2013, the 25th anniversary for Broadway, is blacked out on ticketing sites; So I take it, either the tickets will be sold to the public after all the invites and special guests are taken care of, OR the 25th anniversary performance wont be at the Mjaestic but possibly at a different venue to provide for a bigger celebration.

Hmmm... more likely a gala show. I can't imagine them spending the kind of money they did on the RAH event a mere year and a few months afterward. I think this especially because the RAH event was marketed around the world, including the USA. It would be an over-saturation, and likely wouldn't bring in the numbers the same way.

They did the same thing for the record-breaking performance in '06, IIRC.

Speaking of which, I can't believe that was 6 and a half years ago. Time flies.

I hope we find out soon-ish--I'm toying with the idea of flying out there for the 25th anniversary, so it would be nice to have some information on what's going on and when.

~LCD

Yeah, I'm curious too.

They just cancelled the 10/1 show. Is that common?

Nice to see the Phantom mask made this list of 50 objects that tell the history of New York City.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/02/nyregion/a-history-of-new-york-in-50-objects.html?hp

Paula74 wrote:Nice to see the Phantom mask made this list of 50 objects that tell the history of New York City.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/02/nyregion/a-history-of-new-york-in-50-objects.html?hp

Yeah, that's really cool!
Thanks for sharing that, Paula.

Paula74 wrote:Nice to see the Phantom mask made this list of 50 objects that tell the history of New York City.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/02/nyregion/a-history-of-new-york-in-50-objects.html?hp

THAT is awesome. In a way Broadway has made a bigger claim on Phantom than the West End has, though it opened in West End and has played there longer. There just seems to be another... I dunno, respect or love for it in New York?

operafantomet wrote:

Paula74 wrote:Nice to see the Phantom mask made this list of 50 objects that tell the history of New York City.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/02/nyregion/a-history-of-new-york-in-50-objects.html?hp

THAT is awesome. In a way Broadway has made a bigger claim on Phantom than the West End has, though it opened in West End and has played there longer. There just seems to be another... I dunno, respect or love for it in New York?

That is so cool. I agree Operafantomet, I've always felt that Les Mis has had more love in the west end, a shame really.

A little piece (and a nice photo) about Phantom's inclusion in the next edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.

http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/09-2012/kyle-barisich-hugh-panaro-marni-raab-commemorate-p_61111.html

Also, Hugh hasn't yet given me to OK to post exactly how long he's staying, but the cat is partially out of the bag so I can at least say that he will be playing The Phantom for the 25th anniversary.

Thanks for the update! I was curious as to who would be the Phantom for the 25th, I heard a rumor of a big cast change sweeping the Majestic before the anniversary show, but it was just a rumor.

I called the Majestic yesterday and asked about the 25th anniversary info, I was told as of now the reason that it is blacked out, is because the production company ( RUG I take it) hasnt decided if they want to make it an invite only event, or sell tickets to the public. Why not just do both? reserve a section for the invited VIPS and sell the rest to the general public/phans? Thats all they could tell me though.

And in US Tour news, a friend of mine who helps do load ins/outs for touring companies said the new tour has begun theatre bookings for 2013 inthe states, and it is the "redesigned" tour...

StrangerThanUDreamt wrote:
I called the Majestic yesterday and asked about the 25th anniversary info, I was told as of now the reason that it is blacked out, is because the production company ( RUG I take it) hasnt decided if they want to make it an invite only event, or sell tickets to the public. Why not just do both? reserve a section for the invited VIPS and sell the rest to the general public/phans? Thats all they could tell me though.

If I had any respect for RUG, making the 25th anniversary a closed event would pretty much kill it.

~LCD

StrangerThanUDreamt wrote:Thanks for the update! I was curious as to who would be the Phantom for the 25th, I heard a rumor of a big cast change sweeping the Majestic before the anniversary show, but it was just a rumor.

I called the Majestic yesterday and asked about the 25th anniversary info, I was told as of now the reason that it is blacked out, is because the production company ( RUG I take it) hasnt decided if they want to make it an invite only event, or sell tickets to the public. Why not just do both? reserve a section for the invited VIPS and sell the rest to the general public/phans? Thats all they could tell me though.

And in US Tour news, a friend of mine who helps do load ins/outs for touring companies said the new tour has begun theatre bookings for 2013 inthe states, and it is the "redesigned" tour...

Well, from what I've heard from Hugh and from people who've talked to cast members at the stage door, there might still be some upcoming cast changes (beyond Kimilee Bryant and James Romick having been "given the axe" recently).

From what I've been told, much of the cast has been under very close review pending contract renewals...almost "on probation." This included Hugh, Kyle, both Christines, and the managers.

But, aside from Hugh, I don't know who else has been renewed or if some decisions are still pending...though I do know it's all part of preparations for the 25th.

Like you, I'm hoping they do both VIP invites and public ticket sales for the anniversary. As exciting as the 2006 record-breaking gala was, the 10,000th performance just seemed to have a better feel...there was more energy, love, and excitement in the audience and I think it's because ticket sales were open to the public as opposed to the record-breaking show where only a very, very tiny percent of the tickets were released at the last minute.

Paula74 wrote:Like you, I'm hoping they do both VIP invites and public ticket sales for the anniversary. As exciting as the 2006 record-breaking gala was, the 10,000th performance just seemed to have a better feel...there was more energy, love, and excitement in the audience and I think it's because ticket sales were open to the public as opposed to the record-breaking show where only a very, very tiny percent of the tickets were released at the last minute.

That's what you get when putting the London management in charge.

Glad Hugh Panaro is doing the 25th anniversary performance. I think he's a really cool Phantom, and I also like that he has such a long history with the show. I know it doesn't work that way, but I'm gonna say it anyway: I feel he deserves it. Thank you for bringing that piece of info.

There are quite a few others I would like to see replace din the Broadway cast, though, or people I would like to see bumped up. Or brought back. Letting George Lee Andrews go, and not clinging like grim death to Marilyn Caskey was a loss for the show, methinks.

NYC is a tough last-minute trip for me, so unless they make a decision so I have a reasonable amount of time to make arrangements, I won't be going, 25th Anniversary or not.

R.

operafantomet wrote:
There are quite a few others I would like to see replace din the Broadway cast, though, or people I would like to see bumped up. Or brought back. Letting George Lee Andrews go, and not clinging like grim death to Marilyn Caskey was a loss for the show, methinks.

Another loss for the show was letting James Romick go. I was left in charge of his Fan Club, and he had been with the Broadway company as a swing and Phantom understudy for almost as long as the show's been running. Needless to say it was really hard for him to have to leave the show. I had seen him perform the role of the Phantom numerous times, and he was excellent! He was definitely an asset to that company, and he'll be missed a lot, just like George and Marilyn.

Anyway, glad to see the Broadway company made it into the Guinness Book -- Yay!

And Raphael, I do hope you're able to make it to the Broadway 25th in January, as I hope to be able to meet up with you there, as well as with other of our fellow Phans.

Having seen their replacements and having seen David Cryer's Firmin and "seen" GLA's Andre, I'm forced to conclude that letting Andrews and Cryer go was a HUGE mistake. As for the 25th, I do hope its open to the public. I think it would be a shame that they wouldn't let fans in. We're a big reason the show has enjoyed the success that it has, would be kind of a slap in the face not to at least put some tickets up for sale. Regardless, I'll be in NY that entire week. Hope to see some of you there

If there's anything RUG knows how to do, it's slap fans in the face. (Cynical? Moi?)

If they won't invite us to their party, maybe we should arrange one of our own...

~LCD

The fact that Warlow and and an Australian Christine both being in NY during the 25th Anniversary makes me believe that they may make appearances. Gah, I would love that more than the cast performing that night.

I saw the Broadway company a few weeks ago and was surprised to find James Romick (and other long timers) gone. Hugh Panaro's MOTN was perfect- and I've never said that about any Phantom I've seen live. He's just a fantastic actor and I'm glad he wants to stay a little longer and that management wants to keep him.

I also notice that Peter von Mayrhauser is no longer the production supervisor.

But the cast changes are long, long overdue. As someone who works in the business, I think it's a bad idea to keep people in a show seemingly indefinitely. It's bad for the quality of the show, bad for the careers of the actors, and can be bad backstage when people realize their jobs are "secure" and they can get away with bad behavior.

I've loved this show for a long time, and while I've come to like some of the familiar faces in the Phantom family (as we all do), it's been hard to sit and watch the show for most of the last 15 years anywhere but in London where some of the old magic still remains. I know it's an unpopular opinion but I'm glad to see new people come in.

This is not a business where long term employment is expected, and shows like Phantom are extremely atypical. Having done productions for a year and longer, it's better when people come and go. Phantom in New York for many years suffered from a stale and robotic syndrome, and the show suffered as a result. Vegas was infinitely worse, which is a shame considering how beautiful it was to watch.

Sorry to be the debbie downer, but a lot of people here in one way or another have been hoping for some fresh faces, and this is how it happens. Especially when you keep people on years after their expiration date. Hopefully the show will be better for the changes.

I still think that the sound sucks, in the UK, Vegas and Broadway. Mick Potter, you are the true murderer of Phantom.

I generally agree with you, ravnquest, though I don't know how they could can Romick. He was such a flexible, versatile performer and one of the best Phantom understudies of all time. He never seemed to be stale when put into a major role.

ML6, what will Warlow be doing in NY?

SenorSwanky wrote:

ML6, what will Warlow be doing in NY?

Playing Daddy Warbucks.

ravnquest1 wrote:I saw the Broadway company a few weeks ago and was surprised to find James Romick (and other long timers) gone. Hugh Panaro's MOTN was perfect- and I've never said that about any Phantom I've seen live. He's just a fantastic actor and I'm glad he wants to stay a little longer and that management wants to keep him.

I also notice that Peter von Mayrhauser is no longer the production supervisor.

Yup, Mayrhauser is gone and instead they've gotten a man from the London office. Not sure how I feel about that. They probably want to make the Broadway production as experimental as the West End one. I love how vibrant the West End production usually is because of the frequent cast changes, but let's face it - casting has been a hit-and-miss. They've found some gems (GINA BECK!) and they've failed big time. It's inconsistent. I'm not sure the Broadway production would survive that kind of experimental casting.

As for bringing new faces in on behalf of the old ones, I'm always been one screaming for fresh blood. But I do think they've replaced the wrong long-timers, as George Lee Andrews and Marilyn Caskey were the true stars of the show (along with Hugh Panaro and Michele McConnell) when I saw it last year. What I'm trying to say is that if they want to freshen things up, at least replace those who needs to be replaced, and keep the people who delivers on stage. I think they're doing the opposite now.

I agree about Hugh Panaro, though. I loved him.

GLA was definitely not as fresh as he used to be, and his voice had worn a bit, but he was still good. It's most important to keep the three leads fresh, and to me, the fact that about 11 of the last 13 years have seen either Hugh or Howard in the lead role is what is most stale about the Broadway production.

SenorSwanky wrote:GLA was definitely not as fresh as he used to be, and his voice had worn a bit, but he was still good. It's most important to keep the three leads fresh, and to me, the fact that about 11 of the last 13 years have seen either Hugh or Howard in the lead role is what is most stale about the Broadway production.

I still wanna maintain there's a difference between "stale casting" (as in having few or none cast changes) and "stale cast members" (or wooden, if you like). Some of the stalest in the current cast haven't been with the show for long.